Obstetric Anesthesia Research Articles

Are opioids safe for use in obstetric general anaesthesia?

The use of opioids during caesarean section has historically been avoided because of concerns regarding neonatal compromise. There is now more evidence regarding the safety and benefits of opioids in obstetric general anaesthesia, so should opioids be used during induction of anaesthesia for caesarean section?

Post-dural puncture headache – not only a headache for the patient: guidelines and training in obstetric anaesthesia

Post-dural puncture headache – not only a headache for the patient: guidelines and training in obstetric anaesthesia

Patients in Iowa Counties Lacking Hospitals With Labor and Delivery Services Disproportionately Receive Care at Level III Maternal Care Hospitals When Undergoing Cesarean Delivery: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study.

Introduction Many obstetrical patientsfrom rural areas in the United States lack hospitals that provide labor and delivery care. Our objective was to examine the effects of such patientson caseloads of cesarean deliveries at Iowa hospitals withlevel III maternal care, as defined by the Iowa Department of Public Health(e.g., with obstetric anesthesiologists). Methods Thisretrospective longitudinal studyincludedeverydischarge with cesarean delivery in the state of Iowa from October 2015 through June 2021. There were N=60,534 such deliveries from 76 hospitals, of which three were level III, and the rest were level I or II.Poisson regression models with robust variance estimation and controlling for geography, maternal risk factors, and insurance, were used to evaluate the binary outcome of whether patients received care at the university level III hospital in Eastern Iowa, or not. Similar models were also developed for care at the two private level III hospitals in Central Iowa, or not.Differences in the mean probabilities of receiving care at the level III hospitals were then estimated using logistic regression, with results reported in units of changes in cases per week at the hospitals. Results Statewide, the university level III hospital performed 7.4% of the cesarean deliveries, and the two private level III hospitals performed 23.4%.Patients from counties in which nocesarean deliveries were performedduring the quarter of the year when they underwent a cesarean delivery disproportionately received care at level III hospitals versus levels I and II hospitals. Lower 99% confidence limits for incremental risk ratios were 1.46 and 4.20, respectively. Cesarean deliveries among patients residing in counties where no hospital had a labor and delivery ward were distributed unequally between thecounties of the hospitals with level III maternal care. Therewere approximately 1.09 (standard error 0.10) extra cesarean deliveries per week at the university hospital versus 5.81 (standard error 0.11) at the private hospitals. The 1.09 vs 5.81 difference was caused, in part, by the effects of insurance and other hospitals with similar services. Conclusions Patients residing in counties without labor and delivery care disproportionately go to level III hospitals. These results can help anesthesiologists, obstetricians, and analystsat hospitals with large tertiary (level III) programs interpret their annual increases in total obstetric anesthesia activity.

Trend in neuraxial morphine use and postoperative analgesia after cesarean delivery in Japan from 2005 to 2020

The increasing rate of cesarean deliveries warrants obstetric anesthesiologists to deliver high-quality post-cesarean delivery analgesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temporal trends in the use of neuraxial morphine for cesarean deliveries and to describe the current postoperative analgesia practices. A retrospective cohort study using nationwide health insurance claims databases was conducted from 2005 to 2020 in Japan. Pregnant women who had undergone cesarean deliveries were included. The annual rate of neuraxial morphine use was extracted and analyzed. Additionally, we explored the patient- and facility-level factors associated with neuraxial morphine use through a multilevel logistic regression analysis. The cohort included 65,208 cesarean delivery cases from 2275 institutions. The prevalence of neuraxial morphine use was 16.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.8–16.3) in the overall cohort. Intrathecal morphine was used in 20.6% (95% CI, 20.2–21.0) of spinal anesthesia cases. The trend in neuraxial morphine use steadily increased from 2005 to 2020. The significant predictors of neuraxial morphine use included spinal anesthesia, recent surgery, large medical facilities, and academic hospitals. Variations in the utilization of postoperative analgesia were observed. Our study described the current trend of neuraxial morphine use and the variation in postoperative analgesia practice in Japan.

Quality of recovery after intrathecal morphine for elective Caesarean deliveries

Background: Recent supply issues with diamorphine have meant a change in practice to use of intrathecal morphine. The Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association (OAA)1 guidelines state that intrathecal diamorphine or morphine provides adequate analgesia after Caesarean section. They discourage the use of parenteral opioids in women who have received neuraxial opioids, owing to the increased risk of respiratory depression. Other side-effects such as nausea and vomiting and pruritus may differ in severity for each drug. We reviewed the side-effects and adherence to the enhanced recovery pathway in elective deliveries receiving intrathecal morphine. Methods: Prospective data were collected for 50 women undergoing Caesarean section with intrathecal opioid analgesia (fentanyl 15 μg and morphine 100 μg) within a 5-week period. Data were collected at Day 1 and Day 2 postoperatively. These included: pain score, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pruritus, oral opioid use, anti-emetic use, chlorphenamine use, time spent in recovery, and occurrence of urinary retention. Pain score, nausea and vomiting, and pruritus were recorded using a verbal rating scale (VRS). Results: The majority (56.5%) of patients reported only mild pain, 37% reported moderate to severe pain, but of these most (94.7%) only required 20–40 mg of oral morphine in addition to simple analgesia. In addition, the majority (58.7%) of patients reported no PONV. Meanwhile, 45.7% of patients reported mild pruritus, and 43.5% reported no pruritus. Only three of the 50 women did not follow the enhanced recovery pathway. Two remained as inpatients for monitoring after obstetric haemorrhage, and one for intravenous antibiotics. There was no reported respiratory depression. Time spent in recovery was between 1 and 4 h. Although the reason for prolonged recovery stay was not audited, it was thought that requirement for oxytocin infusion increased recovery stay as the ward did not accept patients on an infusion. Conclusions: Our results show an acceptable side-effect profile after elective Caesarean delivery using intrathecal morphine, with adherence to the current enhanced recovery pathway. We aim to implement updated Caesarean delivery guidelines which include prescription of regular ondansetron and chlorphenamine as required, in conjunction with patient education, to try and reduce the incidence of bothersome PONV and pruritus. 1. Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association, OAA commentary on alternatives to intrathecal and epidural diamorphine for caesarean section analgesia, 2018. Available from: https://www.oaa-anaes.ac.uk/ui/content/content.aspx?ID=4717

Emergencies in obstetric anaesthesia: a narrative review.

We conducted a narrative review in six areas of obstetric emergencies: category-1 caesarean section; difficult and failed airway; massive obstetric haemorrhage; hypertensive crisis; emergencies related to neuraxial anaesthesia; and maternal cardiac arrest. These areas represent significant research published within the last five years, with emphasis on large multicentre randomised trials, national or international practice guidelines and recommendations from major professional societies. Key topics discussed: prevention and management of failed neuraxial technique; role of high-flow nasal oxygenation and choice of neuromuscular drug in obstetric patients; prevention of accidental awareness during general anaesthesia; management of the difficult and failed obstetric airway; current perspectives on the use of tranexamic acid, fibrinogen concentrate and cell salvage; guidance on neuraxial placement in a thrombocytopenic obstetric patient; management of neuraxial drug errors, local anaesthetic systemic toxicity and unusually prolonged neuraxial block regression; and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in maternal cardiac arrest.

If it isn’t written down, then it didn’t happen: documentation in obstetric anaesthesia

If it isn’t written down, then it didn’t happen: documentation in obstetric anaesthesia

Investigating the use of non-loss of resistance syringes for epidural insertion: experience on a mannequin

IntroductionThe Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association has released a statement outlining the disruption to supply of the Portex® Loss of Resistance Syringe (Smiths Medical, UK) which is commonly used for epidural insertion within our Trust. We sought to investigate the use of standard available syringes for epidural insertion and whether tactile feedback when getting loss of resistance was similar. MethodsUsing an epidural trainer model, we asked anaesthetists regularly working in the maternity unit to trial three alternative syringes (10 mL BD Emerald, 10 mL BD syringe from our epidural packs, and 20 mL BD Plastipak) (Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, UK) and to complete a qualitative questionnaire about their experience. ResultsResponses from 16 anaesthetists, including individuals with a range of obstetric anaesthetic experience who regularly provide obstetric anaesthesia, were collected. With the BD Emerald 10 mL syringe, 81% considered there was no difference or only a slight difference when feeling for loss of resistance. For the BD 10 mL syringe, this figure was 75%. With the 20 mL syringe 66% reported either a reasonable or marked difference in tactile feel. The most popular syringe was the 10 mL BD Emerald syringe. ConclusionUsing an epidural training mannequin, this study suggests that it is still possible to elicit clear loss of resistance using alternative syringes. Of the three alternative syringes commonly available in our organisation, the BD Emerald 10 mL syringe was the most popular.

Improving access to emergency obstetric care in underserved rural Tanzania: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundOne of the key strategies to reducing maternal mortality is provision of emergency obstetric care services. This paper describes the results of improving availability of, and access to emergency obstetric care services in underserved rural Tanzania using associate clinicians.MethodsA prospective cohort study of emergency obstetric care was implemented in seven health centres in Morogoro region, Tanzania from July 2016 to June 2019. In early 2016, forty-two associate clinicians from five health centres were trained in teams for three months in emergency obstetric care, newborn care and anaesthesia. Two health centres were unexposed to the intervention and served as controls. Following training, virtual teleconsultation, quarterly on-site supportive supervision and continuous mentorship were implemented to reinforce skills and knowledge.ResultsThe met need for emergency obstetric care increased significantly from 45% (459/1025) at baseline (July 2014 – June 2016) to 119% (2010/1691) during the intervention period (Jul 2016 – June 2019). The met need for emergency obstetric care in the control group also increased from 53% (95% CI 49–58%) to 77% (95% CI 74–80%). Forty maternal deaths occurred during the baseline and intervention periods in the control and intervention health centres. The direct obstetric case fatality rate decreased slightly from 1.5% (95% CI 0.6–3.1%) to 1.1% (95% CI 0.7–1.6%) in the intervention group and from 3.3% (95% CI 1.2–7.0%) to 0.8% (95% CI 0.2–1.7%) in the control group.ConclusionsWhen emergency obstetric care services are made available the proportion of obstetric complications treated in the facilities increases. However, the effort to scale up emergency obstetric care services in underserved rural areas should be accompanied by strategies to reinforce skills and the referral system.

Intralipid fails to rescue bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity in late-pregnant rats.

BackgroundFemales routinely receive bupivacaine for obstetric and regional anesthesia. An accidental overdose of bupivacaine can result in cardiotoxicity and cardiac arrest. Intralipid (ILP) rescues bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity in male rats. However, bupivacaine cardiotoxicity and ILP rescue have not been studied in non-pregnant and late-pregnant female rats. Here, we tested the hypothesis that an appropriate dose of ILP would rescue non-pregnant and late-pregnant rats from bupivacaine-induced cardiotoxicity.MethodsNon-pregnant (n = 6) and late-pregnant (n = 7) female rats received intravenous bupivacaine (10-mg/kg bolus) to induce asystole. Resuscitation with 20% ILP (5-ml/kg actual body weight, single bolus, and 0.5-ml/kg/min maintenance) and chest compressions were continued for 10-min. Serial heart rate (HR), left ventricular ejection-fraction (LVEF%), and LV-fractional shortening (LVFS%) were recorded at baseline and 10-min after bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest. Data are mean ± SD followed by 95% CI. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsAll rats developed cardiac arrest within a few seconds after bupivacaine. All non-pregnant rats were successfully rescued by ILP, with a HR of 280 ± 32 bpm at baseline vs. 212 ± 18 bpm at 10-min post ILP (p < 0.01), LVEF of 70 ± 6% vs. 68 ± 5% (p = ns), and LVFS of 41 ± 5% vs. 39 ± 4% (p = ns). Interestingly, 6 out of 7 late-pregnant rats did not recover with ILP. Baseline HR, LVEF and LVFS for late-pregnant rats were 330 ± 40 bpm, 66 ± 5% and 38 ± 4%, respectively. At 10-min post ILP, the HR, LVEF, and LVFS were 39 ± 102 bpm (p < 0.0001), 8 ± 22% (p < 0.0001), and 5 ± 12% (p < 0.001), respectively.ConclusionsILP successfully rescued bupivacaine-induced cardiac arrest in non-pregnant rats, but failed to rescue late-pregnant rats.

The Bupivacaine Story: A Tribute to George A. Albright, MD (1931-2020).

In 1979, George A. Albright, MD (1931-2020) published a controversial editorial in Anesthesiology that raised the question of bupivacaine cardiotoxicity. In it, he presented several cases of rapid cardiovascular collapse after administration of the highly lipophilic local anesthetic and called for further investigation. Although the scientific community initially resisted Dr Albright's idea, his editorial would ultimately lead to several important advancements in anesthesiology. In 1983, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning that recommended against the use of 0.75% bupivacaine in obstetric anesthesia. This warning would remain in place until 1999. In addition, Dr Albright's article led to the following changes: laboratory research that proved the cardiotoxicity of bupivacaine; the development of safer, stereoselective agents like ropivacaine; and the acceptance of lipid emulsion as a treatment for local anesthetic toxicity. In this article, C. Philip Larson, Jr, MDCM, Editor-in-Chief of Anesthesiology at the time of publication of Albright's manuscript, provides a unique perspective on the bupivacaine story.

Ten Women Who Changed Science and the World

Ten Women Who Changed Science and the World

Obstetric services in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey

BackgroundThe management of obstetric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to human-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires unique considerations. Many aspects of labour and delivery practice required adaptation in response to the global pandemic and were supported by guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists. The adoption and adherence to these guidelines is unknown. MethodsParticipating centres in “Quality of Recovery in Obstetric Anaesthesia study—a multicentre study” (ObsQoR) completed an electronic survey based on the provision of services and care related to COVID-19 in October 2021. The survey was designed against the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists COVID-19 guidelines. ResultsOne hundred and five of the 107 participating centres completed the survey (98% response rate representing 54% of all UK obstetric units). The median [IQR] annual number of deliveries among the included sites was 4389 [3000–5325]. Ninety-nine of the 103 (94.3%) sites had guidelines for the management of peripartum women with COVID-19. Sixty-one of 105 (58.1%) sites had specific guidance for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis. Thirty-seven of 104 (35.6%) centres restricted parturient birthing plans if a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 was made. A COVID-19 vaccination referral pathway encouraging full vaccination for all pregnant women was present in 63/103 centres (61.2%). ConclusionWe found variability in care delivered and adherence to guidelines related to COVID-19. The clinical implications for this related to quality of peripartum care is unclear, however there remains scope to improve pathways for immunisation, birth plans and VTE prophylaxis.

Troubleshooting obstetric spinal anaesthesia at district hospital level.

Obstetric spinal anaesthesia is routinely used in South African district hospitals for caesarean sections, providing better maternal and neonatal outcomes than general anaesthesia in appropriate patients. However, practitioners providing anaesthesia in this context are usually generalists who practise anaesthesia infrequently and may be unfamiliar with dealing with complications of spinal anaesthesia or with conversion from spinal to general anaesthesia. This is compounded by challenges with infrastructure, shortages of equipment and sundries and a lack of context-sensitive guidelines and support from specialised anaesthetic services for district hospitals. This continuous professional development (CPD) article aims to provide guidance with respect to several key areas related to obstetric spinal anaesthesia, and to address common concerns and queries. We stress that good clinical practice is essential to avoid predictable, common complications, and hence a thorough preoperative preparation is essential. We further discuss clinical indications for preoperative blood testing, spinal needle choice, the use of isobaric bupivacaine, spinal hypotension, failed or partial spinal block and pain during the caesarean section. Where possible, relevant local and international guidelines are referenced for further reading and guidance, and a link to a presentation of this topic is provided.

Ultrasound assisted neuraxial blockade in obstetric anesthesia

Central neuraxial blocks (CNBs) relevant to the practice of obstetric anesthesia and analgesia are spinal, epidural and combined spinal-epidural injections. These techniques are routinely used for cesarean deliveries and labor pain relief. Traditionally, CNBs are performed using surface anatomical landmarks. In the first instance the highest point of each iliac crest is identifies. The imaginary line connecting these points allegedly passes through the L4 vertebral body in non-pregnant women, and L3 vertebral body in pregnant women [1]. Based on this, the operator palpates and counts the spinous processes and decides on the needle entry point. Although this technique is widely accepted as relatively reliable, the correlation is inconsistent even in non complicated cases. Obesity, tissue edema, pelvic rotation, limited ability to bend forward, hyperlordosis, labor pain, underlying spinal deformity or previous back surgery and instrumentation pose additional difficulty for anesthesiologists to correctly locate the intervertebral levels.

General anesthesia for cesarean section: are we doing it well?

Korea has a higher rate of cesarean sections under general anesthesia than in other countries. Neuraxial anesthesia is the gold standard for a cesarean section, but there are some cases in which general anesthesia is inevitable. Therefore, obstetric anesthesiologists should be familiar in performing general anesthesia for cesarean section. Rapid-sequence induction and intubation with cricoid pressure using thiopental-succinylcholine have been the standard for cesarean section under general anesthesia for a long time. Recently, with the introduction of new drugs (propofol, rocuronium, and sugammadex) and equipments (videolaryngoscopy and supraglottic airways), anesthesia methods have also gradually changed. Pursuing the safety of obstetric patients and anesthesiologists at the same time, this review will help update the knowledge or training in performing general anesthesia for cesarean section.

A Century of Progress and Collaboration Between Obstetric Anesthesiologists, Anesthesia & Analgesia, and the International Anesthesia Research Society.

The past century has seen significant advances in the practice of obstetric anesthesiology. This article will review the role of Anesthesia & Analgesia and the International Anesthesia Research Society in contributing to fundamental paradigm shifts in our understanding of obstetric anesthesiology.

Anesthetic Management in Parturients With Fontan Physiology

Anesthetic Management in Parturients With Fontan Physiology

Analyses of requirements for curriculum development for the training of anesthesiologists in the delivery room-A nationwide survey

HintergrundDie anästhesiologische Tätigkeit in der Kreißsaalumgebung impliziert die Besonderheiten der 200 %-Letalität, die beschreibt, dass Notfallsituationen Mutter und Kind betreffen können. Ein Umstand, der die Notwendigkeit einer besonderen Sorgfalt in der Mitarbeiterausbildung und -auswahl eindrücklich unterstreicht. Gleichwohl existiert derzeit keine detaillierte Beschreibung der notwendigen Kompetenzen in dieser Arbeitsumgebung. Die vorliegende Studie soll die Ausbildungssituation in der anästhesiologischen Weiterbildung beschreiben und im Hinblick auf die Notwendigkeit eines Curriculums analysieren.MethodikIn einer multizentrischen Beobachtungsstudie wurden Ärzt:innen in Weiterbildung (AiW) und ausbildende Fachärzt:innen (FÄ) nach Methoden der Einarbeitung, Feedbackgabe, übernommenen Tätigkeiten und Bedarf eines Curriculums befragt. Teilnehmende wurden über die Mitgliedsdatenbank der DGAI angeschrieben und konnten onlinebasiert den 11 Items umfassenden Fragebogen beantworten.ErgebnisseInsgesamt wurden 495 Fragebogen (FÄ 329;166 AiW) abgeschlossen. Fachärzt:innen und AiW machen unterschiedliche Angaben zur Durchführung von Abschlussgesprächen (59,6 % vs. 10 %) und der Unterstützung durch ein Curriculum (76,3 % vs. 15,7 %). Unabhängig vom Weiterbildungsjahr werden von AiW Kaiserschnitte unter Supervisionsstufe „Rufweite“ durchgeführt. Die Periduralanästhesie (PDA) ist während der Einarbeitung die am seltensten durchgeführte Maßnahme. Beide Gruppen schätzen den Nutzen bzw. den Wert einer Beschreibung von Lernzielen und der Verfügbarkeit eines Curriculums als hoch ein.SchlussfolgerungDie Unterstützung der Einarbeitung wird von FÄ und AiW teilweise unterschiedlich beantwortet. Einzelne seltene durchgeführte Maßnahmen, wie die PDA, bedürfen künftig einer gesonderten Aufmerksamkeit. Die Beschreibung von Lernzielen und die Curriculumsentwicklung werden ausdrücklich gewünscht.Zusatzmaterial onlineDie Online-Version dieses Beitrags (10.1007/s00101-022-01172-1) enthält den Fragebogen zur Arbeit.

Safe caesarean sections in South Africa: Is internship training sufficient?

Background. In Africa, the maternal mortality rate after caesarean section (CS) is 50 times higher than that in high-income countries. In South Africa (SA), women who undergo CS have a three times higher mortality rate than those who deliver vaginally. Anaesthetic complications and obstetric haemorrhage are major drivers of poor outcomes, and the case fatality rate for CS at district hospitals is particularly high. Objectives. To assess the adequacy of anaesthetic and obstetric internship training in preparing interns to perform CS independently and safely. Methods. This was an observational cross-sectional survey of all community service officers (CSOs) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), SA, in 2020. Data were collected via an electronic survey that comprised 68 questions in 4 domains, covering personal information, obstetric surgical training, obstetric anaesthetic training and support received as a CSO. Results. Surveys were sent to 228 CSOs in KZN, with 160 responses received (70% response rate). Respondents included participants from 8 medical schools and 33 internship facilities across the country. One in 8 interns (n=21/160) did not perform the required 10 CSs. Supervision in theatre was provided by an obstetric specialist for at least 1 CS in n=57/160 (35.62%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 28.54 - 43.39) participants, and n=45/160 (28.13%; 95% CI 21.66 - 35.64) interns never performed an emergency CS. Interns had limited opportunity to be the primary surgeon for complicated cases. Only 1/5 interns performed &gt;5 obstetric general anaesthetics. Conclusions. This survey showed that there are deficiencies in the current CS-related training of interns in SA. A lack of exposure to adequate obstetric surgical training and obstetric general anaesthesia is likely to impact on the performance of CSOs and on the safety of the CS service provided at district hospitals. The content and quality of the CS-related intern training programme needs to be enhanced to improve the competence of CSOs. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)’s stipulations for internship training must be adhered to and should look to include simulation training, basic surgical skills courses and prioritisation of exposure to complicated surgical scenarios